Armed Forces: A400M

Lord Gilbert: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many C130s and C17s they would contemplate ordering to fulfil their requirements for military air transport should Airbus not proceed with production of the A400M or they cancel their order.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The UK remains committed to A400M but not at any cost and we regard the current contract renegotiations as the best means to determine the way forward for the A400M programme. The department keeps its current and future airlift requirements under constant review, and is undertaking work to study the fallback options for alternative capabilities should that be necessary. At this stage we have no plans to procure additional C-17 or C-130Js.

Corus Steel

The Archbishop of York: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they will give to Corus steelworks in Redcar, Teesside, and to the workers there who are facing redundancy.

Lord Young of Norwood Green: We have maintained a close dialogue with Corus at the highest level whilst it tries to find solutions that safeguard as many jobs as possible and create new jobs on the Teesside Cast Products site.
	The Corus Response Group, led by the regional development agency and involving Jobcentre Plus amongst others, enables these bodies to work together to offer the best assistance to those who may be made redundant. I understand they have been meeting regularly with Corus management and contingency plans are already in place. These will ensure that the full range of information, advice and guidance is available to redundant workers to help them with job search skills, advice on self-employment and other relevant issues such as pensions and tax matters. A resource centre has already been set up at the site to ensure that information is readily available to the workers.
	On 8 December, my right honourable and noble friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills announced over £60 million of investment in the North East to support the region's industrial transition to low-carbon and advanced manufacturing. This has been done with record speed and in full co-operation with local agencies. It will be part funded by One North East and will secure long-term employment in sustainable manufacturing in the region.
	It combines direct and immediate help for the workers who face losing their jobs at Teesside Cast Products with investment in projects which will help underpin the future economy of the Tees valley. It will create around 3,000 jobs and sustain over 10,000 in the long term.
	EU state aid rules for the steel industry are stricter than for other sectors and therefore any practical financial measures that the Government could take to help Teesside Cast Products stay open are likely to be declared illegal by the Commission.

Cycling

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 30 November 2009 (WA 10), how much has been collected from fixed penalty notices for cycling on the footway since their introduction in 1999.

Lord West of Spithead: The information requested cannot be collected as data on fixed penalty notices for cycling offences are not reported to the Home Office.

Education: Home Schooling

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether home educators are able to access the tools on the everyonesreading.org.uk scheme.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: Last year the Department for Children, Schools and Families, commissioned the School Library Association to produce Everyone's Reading 11-18 as part of their Riveting Reads series. Home educators can access the booklist as an online database or download in a PDF format from the web at http://www.everyonesreadinq.orq.uk/.

Education: Post-16 Funding

Baroness Walmsley: To ask Her Majesty's Government with reference to press notice 2009/0184 issued by the Department for Children, Schools and Families on 12 October 2009, when they will announce which (a) schools, and (b) colleges, will receive funding for additional places provided to 16 year olds.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: We are investing a total of over £7.8 billion in post-16 learning in 2009-10 to provide more than 1.5 million young people, the highest number on record, with a place in learning and the support they need. The £11 million top-up payment announced in October will fund 518 providers to part-fund a further 20,260 learners in 2009-10-on top of the additional 55,000 places in schools and colleges and 17,500 apprenticeship places already fully funded in 2009-10 under September Guarantee. The LSC will be informing all providers of how this additional funding will be allocated shortly.

Employment

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people are in employment; and how many were in employment 10 years ago.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the percentage unemployment rate; and how that compares to the rates in other European Union countries.

Baroness Crawley: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General, Office for National Statistics, to Lord Kilclooney, dated January 2010.
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking (i) how many people are in employment; and how many were in employment 10 years ago (HL1008); and (ii) what is the percentage unemployment rate; and how that compares to the rates in other European Union countries (HL1009).
	The tables provided show the information requested.
	Estimates for UK employment and unemployment are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and are published monthly in the Labour Market Statistical Bulletin. Comparisons with other European Union countries are also provided in the bulletin, via the following link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Productasp?vlnk=1944
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Indications of the sampling variability of LFS aggregate estimates are provided in the Statistical Bulletin.
	
		
			 Table 1: Employment levels and rates1 
			 Three-month periods ending October, 1999 and 2009 
			 United Kingdom, seasonally adjusted 
			   Thousands and per cent 
			  Level Rate 
			  All aged 16 and over All aged 16-59 (women) and 16-64 (men) 
			 1999 27,210 74.0 
			 2009 28,926 72.5 
		
	
	Source: Labour Force Survey
	1 The number of working age people (aged 16 to 59 for women and 16 to 64 for men) in employment divided by the working age population
	It should be noted that the above estimates exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc.)
	
		
			 Table 2: Unemployment rates, seasonally adjusted 
			 European Union country comparisons 
			  Latest Period Unemployment rate (%)1 
			 As published by EUROSTAT on 1 December 2009 
			 European Union (EU)   
			 Austria Oct 09 4.7 
			 Belgium Oct 09 8.1 
			 Bulgaria Oct 09 7.9 
			 Cyprus Oct 09 6.0 
			 Czech Republic Oct 09 7.1 
			 Denmark Oct 09 6.9 
			 Estonia 2009 Q3 15.2 
			 Finland Oct 09 8.7 
			 France Oct 09 10.1 
			 Germany Oct 09 7.5 
			 Greece 2009 Q2 9.2 
			 Hungary Oct 09 9.9 
			 Ireland Oct 09 12.8 
			 Italy Oct 09 8.0 
			 Latvia Oct 09 20.9 
			 Lithuania 2009 Q2 13.8 
			 Luxembourg Oct 09 6.6 
			 Malta Oct 09 7.0 
			 Netherlands Oct 09 3.7 
			 Poland Oct 09 8.4 
			 Portugal Oct 09 10.2 
			 Romania 2009 Q2 6.4 
			 Slovak Republic Oct 09 12.2 
			 Slovenia Oct 09 6.2 
			 Spain Oct 09 19.3 
			 Sweden Oct 09 8.8 
			 United Kingdom 2 Aug 09 7.8 
			 Total EU 3 Oct 09 9.3 
			 Eurozone 3 Oct 09 9.8 
			 As published by the Office for National Statistics 
			 United Kingdom 2 Aug-Oct 09 7.9 
		
	
	Sources: EUROSTAT, ONS-Labour Force Survey
	1 Unemployment rates published by EUROSTAT for most EU countries (but not for the UK), are calculated by extrapolating from the most recent LFS data using monthly registered unemployment data. A standard population basis (15-74) is used by EUROSTAT except for Spain and the UK (16-74).
	2 The unemployment rate for the UK published by EUROSTAT is based on the population aged 16-74 whilst the unemployment rate for the UK published by the Office for National Statistics is based on those aged 16 and over. There are other minor definitional differences.
	3 The "Total EU" series consist of all 27 EU countries. The Eurozone series consist of the following EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Spain.

Energy: National Policy

Lord Jenkin of Roding: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will table the Motion or Motions for debating the six draft energy national policy statements in Grand Committee.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The relevant scrutiny period for parliamentary resolutions or recommendations on the suite of draft energy national policy statements will end on 6 May 2010. The scheduling of business is a matter for the usual channels; and in accordance with the procedure agreed by the House on 15 December 2009, time will be made available in the Grand Committee to debate the six national policy statements currently before the House before the scrutiny period expires. Once dates are agreed, the relevant Motions will be tabled.

Energy: Renewables

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for collection and distribution grids for wave power, bio-gas and electricity generated from bio-mass.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government are taking steps through the Transmission Access Review to ensure that new renewable sources of energy can get access to the electricity grid. The review aims to implement a new model for access by the summer of 2010.
	On 2 December 2009, the Government published their vision for smart grids. Smarter networks will make it easier and quicker to bring new renewable generation onto the grid. An industry working group, the Electricity Networks Strategy Group which is co-chaired by officials from DECC and Ofgem, will publish a route map for smart grids in spring 2010.
	The Government will shortly issue guidance for producers of biogas, addressing legal, technical and practical requirements. The Government propose to review the licence arrangements for connection of biomethane plant to the gas network in 2010.

Food: Nano-capsules

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether food manufacturers must obtain clearance if they wish to incorporate nano-capsules into food.

Baroness Thornton: There is no specific legislation applying to "nano-capsules". New food ingredients are regulated under European legislation (Regulation (EC) No. 258/97 on novel foods and food ingredients), which also applies to existing foods and ingredients that have undergone a new process that changes their properties. According to this regulation, new substances must undergo an approval process before they can be marketed in the European Union and this would apply to novel nanomaterials.
	Separate legislation applies to substances added to food for technological purposes, such as food additives. The approvals for food additives do not currently distinguish between different particle sizes of the same substance but this will change when updated legislation (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food improvement agents) comes into effect on 20 January 2010. Under the new regulation a significant change in the particle size of a food additive, for example through nanotechnology, will require a new evaluation and authorisation.

Government Departments: Bonuses

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government for each of the last three years for which figures are available, how many people were eligible for performance bonuses and special bonuses in HM Treasury and its agencies, by civil service band; how many people received each type of bonus, by civil service band; what the average payment was for each type of bonus, by civil service band; and what the maximum payment was for each type of bonus, by civil service band.

Lord Myners: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given to him by my noble friend, the Leader of the House of Lords, the right honourable the Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, on 16 December 2009 (Official Report, col. WA 240). HM Treasury and its agencies operate a similar pay and performance system.
	The tables below give the information requested, where available, in respect of HM Treasury, the UK Debt Management Office and the Office of Government Commerce, for performance awards and special performance awards paid in the past three complete years for which figures are available. The remaining information is not available within the disproportionate cost threshold.
	HM Treasury
	
		
			 2008-09 Performance awards 
			 Grade Staff eligible Number of awards Average payment (£) Highest payment (£) 
			 Non-SCS 1,110 401 1,187 2,400 
			 SCS 111 81 8,030 20,000 
		
	
	
		
			 2008-09 Special performance awards 
			 Grade Staff eligible Number of awards Average payment (£) Highest payment (£) 
			 Non-SCS (l)1,134 487 330 9,000 
			 SCS 84 5 1,070 2,500 
		
	
	(1) In addition, one award was made to a member of staff on secondment to a private sector organisation that subsequently reimbursed the department.
	
		
			 2007-08 Performance awards 
			 Grade Staff eligible Number of awards Average payment (£) Highest payment (£) 
			 Non-SCS 1,005 379 3,172 6,950 
			 SCS 107 82 7,130 18,000 
		
	
	
		
			 2007-08 Special performance awards 
			 Grade Staff eligible Number of awards Average payment (£) Highest payment (£) 
			 All grades (2)1,111 382 463 9,000 
		
	
	(2) In addition, one award was made to a member of staff on secondment to a private sector organisation that subsequently reimbursed the department.
	
		
			 2006-07 Performance awards 
			 Grade Staff eligible Number of awards Average payment (£) Highest payment (£) 
			 Non-SCS 1,077 368 1,119 3,400 
			 SCS 106 73 7,351 14,600 
		
	
	2006-07 Special performance awards-(not available within the disproportionate costs threshold).
	UK Debt Management Office (DMO)
	The DMO has only one member of staff at Senior Civil Service (SCS) grade. Remuneration details for the chief executive of the DMO are given in its annual report and accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. Details of performance awards have been published in HM Treasury's resource accounts for 2007-08 and 2008-09. The table below gives the information requested, where available, for non-SCS grades.
	
		
			 DMO Staff eligible Number of awards Average payment (£) Highest payment (£) 
			 2008-09 Performance awards 70 66 3,121 12,760 
			 2008-09 Special performance awards (3) 87 38 272 500 
			 2007-08 Performance awards 73 68 2,622 11,977 
			 2006-07 Performance awards 73 68 2,571 11,182 
		
	
	(3) Special performance awards were introduced in 2008.
	Office of Government Commerce (OGC)
	The tables below give the information requested, where available, for OGC performance awards. Data on special performance awards prior to 2008-09 is not available within the disproportionate costs threshold.
	
		
			 2008-09 Performance awards 
			 Grade Staff eligible Number of awards Average payment (£) Highest payment (£) 
			 Non-SCS 216 73 1,839 4,100 
			 SCS 26 16 12,055 23,200 
		
	
	
		
			 2008-09 Special performance awards 
			 Grade Staff eligible Number of awards Average payment (£) Highest payment (£) 
			 Non-SCS 213 70 286 600 
		
	
	
		
			 2007-08 Performance awards 
			 Grade Staff eligible Number of awards Average payment (C) Highest payment (E) 
			 Non-SCS 270 163 714 1,600 
			 SCS 25 19 10,263 17,726 
		
	
	
		
			 2006-07 Performance awards 
			 Grade Staff eligible Number of awards Average payment (£) Highest payment (E) 
			 Non-SCS 315 218 897 2,325 
			 SCS 35 17 10,162 17,425

Government Departments: Bonuses

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government for each of the past three years for which figures are available, how many people were eligible for performance bonuses and special bonuses in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its agencies, by civil service band; how many people received each type of bonus, by Civil Service band; what the average payment was for each type of bonus, by Civil Service band; and what the maximum payment was for each type of bonus, by Civil Service band.

Lord Brett: An element of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's overall pay award is allocated to non-consolidated variable pay related to performance. These payments are used to drive high performance and form part of the pay award for members of staff who demonstrate exceptional performance, for example by exceeding targets set or meeting challenging objectives.
	Non-consolidated variable pay awards are funded from within existing pay bill controls, and have to be re-earned each year against pre-determined targets and, as such, do not add to future pay bill costs. The percentage of the pay bill set aside for performance-related awards for staff in the SCS is based on recommendations from the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.
	The table below details how many people were eligible for and received a non-consolidated variable pay award and the average and the maximum payment for a non-consolidated variable pay award, by Civil Service band, awarded under the Foreign and Commonwealth Office standard pay and performance management process for the past three years of published accounts. The years relate to when the payment was made. The performance year is the 12 months prior.
	
		
			  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  
			  SCS Non-SCS SCS Non-SCS SCS Non-SCS 
			 Number of staff eligible for performance-pay award 434 434 5,896 420 5,780 413 5,846 
			 Number of staff who received a performance-pay award 331 4,573 343 4,528 283 4,423 
			 Average value of performance-pay award 6,121 957 6,266 953 8,420 1,164 
			 The maximum payment for a performance-pay award 25,500 4,665 15,000 2,500 20,000 3,315 
		
	
	In addition, an individual employed on a SCS non-standard form of contract, which links a higher than normal percentage of their pay to delivery-based objectives, received a non-consolidated award of £20,000 in 2007 for their performance in 2006-07 and £30,000 in 2008 for their performance in 2007-08.

Government: Office Equipment

Lord Bates: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Barbara Follett, on 9 December 2009 (Official Report, House of Commons, col. 390W), what was the average purchase price, excluding value added tax, of a 500-sheet ream of white A4 80 gsm photocopier paper paid by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and each of its agencies in the latest period for which figures are available.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The average price of a 500-sheet ream of white A4 80gsm photocopier paper paid for by Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) was £2.18 excluding VAT in the latest period available. Agencies and non-departmental public bodies have their own contractual arrangements for stationery which DCSF does not have access to and therefore cannot provide a response of their behalf.
	The data have been provided by the department's supplier for stationery, Banner Business.

Health: Dentistry

Earl Baldwin of Bewdley: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Thornton on 16 December 2009 (WA 239), how closely the number of general anaesthetics required by children for tooth extractions in a given area correlates with the level of dental decay among children in that area; and what other factors may play a part in the number of extractions.

Baroness Thornton: There is a close correlation. Since 2002, general anaesthetics for dental treatment have taken place only in a hospital setting. The following table compares levels of tooth decay with the number of finished consultant episodes where the main operation was a tooth extraction for children aged five and under in 2005-06 in the West Midlands, where the water is fluoridated, and in the north-west where only a very small proportion of the population drink fluoridated water. A few extractions may result from trauma, but the great majority are due to dental decay.
	
		
			 Strategic Health Authority Number of Extractions Decayed, missing and filled teeth* 
			 West Midlands 230 1.05 
			 North West 1,433 3.01 
		
	
	Note:
	* Average number of decayed, missing and filled teeth derived from the 2005-06 survey of five-year-olds conducted within the National Health Service under the auspices of the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry (BASCD) Dental Epidemiology Programme.

Higher Education: Infonexus College

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government when Infonexus College London was accredited as a college of education; by which UK Border Agency accreditation agency; how many overseas students in the past three years have been granted visas to study there; from which countries; and what courses it offers that would not be available to those students in their home countries.

Lord West of Spithead: Infonexus College London was accredited by the Accreditation Service for International Colleges, ASIC, on 31 July 2009.
	Information pertaining to overseas students studying at individual colleges cannot be released as it is commercially sensitive and would also constitute a breach of our obligations under the Data Protection Act.
	The UK Border Agency does not hold information on courses that Infonexus College London offers that would not be available to those students in their home countries.

Higher Education: Overseas Students

Baroness Neville-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many sponsors of migrant students have been removed from the register of sponsors, the register of education and training providers, and any predecessor lists, in each year since 1997; and for what reasons.

Lord West of Spithead: Fourteen sponsors of migrant students have been removed from the register of sponsors since 31 March 2009. Of these, six had no accreditation, one entered into liquidation and seven failed to meet their sponsor obligations.
	There were 14,838 institutions on the DIUS register of education and training providers when it closed on 31 March 2009. Information on the number of education and training providers who had been removed from this register is not available.

Immigration: Deportation

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government how long it takes on average to deport a failed asylum seeker.

Lord West of Spithead: The time taken to remove a failed asylum seeker varies greatly and so overall averages can be misleading.
	The 2008 National Audit Office (NAO) report identified average times to remove different types of failed asylum seekers as: 79 days for those in the detained fast track; 250 days for removing forcibly those not detained throughout the period of their claim; and 300 days for voluntary returns.

Immigration: Deportation

Baroness Neville-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the costs of legal proceedings relating to the deportation of foreign nationals on the ground of national security in each year since 2001.

Lord West of Spithead: The information requested is not centrally collated and could only be obtained by examination of individual case files which would incur a disproportionate cost.

Immigration: Detention Centres

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many persons residing in immigration detention centres are not free to leave the United Kingdom.

Lord West of Spithead: Individuals held in immigration removal centres are free to leave the United Kingdom.

Mental Health

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures are planned to improve services for (a) children with serious emotional disturbance, and (b) adults with mental health illnesses.

Baroness Thornton: New Horizons: Ashared vision for mental health, published on 7 December 2009, outlined a cross-government programme of action with the twin aims of improving the mental health and well-being of the population and improving the quality and accessibility of services for people with poor mental health. It lists 120 different actions for government, the wider public sector and the professions.
	New Horizons sets out the expectation that services to treat and care for people with mental health problems will be accessible to everyone who needs them. It highlights that people achieve the most effective recovery if their mental ill-health is identified, and treated, at an early stage. New Horizons has been developed in collaboration with strategic health authorities, is consistent with their regional visions for mental health, and does not set out to be prescriptive.
	The Government published Keeping Children and Young People in Mind: The Government's full response to the independent review of CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) on 7 January 2010.
	The response sets out:
	the Government's commitment for high-quality services that all children and young people will receive;a description of the effective services we expect all local areas to be working towards; anda package of support from the Government to help local areas deliver these effective services.

Mobile Phones: Prisoners

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many mobile phones were taken from prisoners in each prison in Northern Ireland during 2009.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The number of mobile phones confiscated in each prison in 2009 was:
	Maghaberry 26;
	Magilligan 37; and
	Hydebank Wood 6.

NHS: Strategic Service Partnerships

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the National Health Service uses strategic-service partnerships similar to those used by local authorities; whether they have considered the Audit Commission's 2008 evaluation of those partnerships; and whether in pursuing greater efficiency in the NHS following the Pre-Budget Report they will recommend that model to NHS trusts.

Baroness Thornton: How National Health Service organisations deliver priorities, is set out in the NHS Operating Framework. The NHS Operating Framework for 2010-11 was published on 16 December 2009 and sets out the need for NHS organisations to work with local partners in delivering priorities and the challenges that need to be addressed following the Pre-Budget Report. A copy of the NHS Operating Framework for 2010-11 has already been placed in the Library.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission: Taxis

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission spent on taxis in 2009.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission paid £3,354 in respect of taxis for commissioners and staff in the period 1 January to 31 December 2009.

Northern Ireland: Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 15 December 2009 (WA 213), whether the objective published in the current business plan of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) to work to secure the enactment of legislation reflecting NIHRC's advice to Government on a possible bill of rights for Northern Ireland is consistent with NIHRC's statutory functions.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: I have nothing further to add to my Answer of 15 December 2009 (Official Report, col. WA 213).

Rwanda

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they and the Commonwealth are taking to ensure that the government of Rwanda extradite Laurent Nkunda to stand trial at The Hague for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Kiwanja and Rutshuru.

Lord Brett: Allegations of serious crimes committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo since July 2002 are currently being investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Court is an independent, judicial institution and decisions on indictments and arrest warrants are a matter for the Prosecutor and the Pre-Trial Chamber. At this time, no warrant has been issued by the ICC for Laurent Nkunda.

Rwanda

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 14 December 2009 (WA 175), when the admission of Rwanda to the Commonwealth was debated or approved by either House of Parliament.

Lord Brett: Further to the answer I gave in the House of Lords on 2 December 2009, and the written response I gave on 14 December (HL542), the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala saw a review of the membership criteria and the condition of a "constitutional link" was replaced by a "close link" to an existing Commonwealth member state.
	The UK has supported Rwanda's bid to join the Commonwealth from this time onwards. This matter has been discussed publicly since this time. It is not the practice to ratify such decisions made by the Commonwealth or Member States in national parliaments-including that of the UK.
	The decision on new applications to join is taken by all the Commonwealth Heads of Government. Commonwealth Heads of Government voted unanimously to allow Rwanda to join the organisation in Trinidad in November 2009.

Universities: Museums and Galleries

Lord Smith of Finsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the review of funding for university museums and galleries led by Sir Muir Russell to be completed; when they expect a report and their response to be published; and what discussions Sir Muir Russell intends to undertake in the course of his review with directors of university museums.

Lord Young of Norwood Green: This review has been commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). As part of the review process, all institutions in receipt of this funding were asked for detailed submissions supporting their case for continued funding. In addition, Sir Muir will discuss their particular circumstances with the institutions concerned. HEFCE expects to receive the reviews findings in February. The report and matters arising from it are currently expected to be discussed by the HEFCE board in April. The report and HEFCE's response will be published after the board's consideration.